Can Common Childhood Infections Cause Hearing Loss?
Mumps is the most common cause of one-sided total deafness in the United States. Frequently, the child and family are not aware of the hearing loss until years later. Usually, the balance system is normal. Other childhood infections may also affect hearing, particularly by destroying the eardrum and damaging the middle ear bones. Scarlet fever is notorious for creating such problems. What Other Special Infections Are Known to Cause Hearing Loss? There are many. Syphilis is among the most important. Commonly, it has been acquired either at birth, or a long time before hearing symptoms occur (20, 30 or more years). It is especially important because it is a treatable and sometimes curable, form of sensorineural hearing loss. It may present as Ménière’s syndrome, sudden deafness, or sensorineural hearing loss of any pattern (typically slightly asymmetric with somewhat poor discrimination). Routine syphilis tests, such as those obtained for marriage licenses, are generally normal; but spec
